As the Rain Falls
by KP-X
Summary: Faith. Trust. Loyalty. All can be taken away with a single word... but what does it take to earn them back? [ InuKag ]
1. Lost and Found

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As the Rain Falls

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Summary: When Inuyasha makes a fatal mistake that nearly costs Kagome's life, he in the process breaks her heart and her trust in him. Though she survives, she is in shambles, both mentally and physically, and Inuyasha must gain her trust back in time to heal her heart.

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Author's Note: Hi all! ^-^ Keiimaru's back! Surprised to see me? It has been a very long while, but I've been insanely busy. Anywho, I've had this idea for a new story for months, it just took me a while to actually write it out. I might be a little slow getting each new chapter out, but they're going to be very long to make up for that. It's worth the price to pay for this to be a good story, ne?

This shall be an angsty fic, because I love angst, but I also love fluff, so there will be plenty of that, too. I'm a diehard Inu\Kag fan, so don't expect anything different from this story. I'll try to fit some Mir/San in somewhere too, but no promises. I'm not usually great at writing anything that's not Inu/Kag. For those of you Kikyou haters out there, rejoice, because she will die sometime in this story. There will be no bashing though, sorry if you wanted it :P. I'm trying to keep all the characters IC (in character, versus OOC) as best I can. Kikyou will be evil-like like she is early in the series, when she tries to kill Kagome, but no more than that.

I didn't realize it until after I wrote it, but I'm well aware that this introduction is a lot like the one in the first Inuyasha movie. ^-^; I apologize for this, it was not at all my intention to plagiarize. I am usually a very original person with my ideas, so I didn't mean to steal it at all.

Anyway, enough of the author's ramblings, on with the story!

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Disclaimer: I won't say it! ;-; You can't make me say it! *WHACK* OW! Fine… I don't own Inuyasha. Happy?

Chapter One – **Lost and Found**

Grumbling irately to no one but herself, the young girl all but stomped through the forest, parting branches and shoving dense foliage away as she stormed away from camp.

"Inuyasha no baka! Can't he learn to be grateful for anything that I do for him? _I_ took time out of _my_ schedule to go to the effort of making him lunch, and all he can say is, 'Where's the ramen?'?!" She growled in frustration when the sleeve of her school blouse caught on a dead branch, and in her anger, she yanked her arm away, causing her sleeve to tear and the sharp end of the branch to cut into her skin.

"Ite!" She winced and grabbed her injured arm, sighing as she sat down on the upraised root of a tree and leaned against its trunk. She drew back her hand and dabbed gingerly at the wound, wiping away the small bit of blood that leaked from it with her ripped sleeve. It was by no means serious, and it barely hurt, but it added yet another annoyance to her already long list of problems.

"Mou… today is not my day…" She leaned her head back against the rough surface of the tree and stared into the sky a moment, then closed her eyes and sighed dejectedly. In addition to the school year's end approaching, meaning she would have finals to study for, Inuyasha had become more irritable than ever over the past few months. It completely evaded her as to why… not to mention that Miroku, Sango and Shippou had all taken a leave of absence. The perverted priest had insisted on escorting Sango when she said she wished to go home, and the taijiya had reluctantly agreed, but not without giving him a rather forceful warning with Hiraikotsu to keep his hands to himself. Shippou had decided to stay with Kaede for a while, since the villagers were giving him so much attention, and it was infinitely preferable over daily getting beaten up by an angry hanyou. He didn't want to leave Kagome at first, but when she promised to bring him more crayons and chocolate the next time they saw each other, he couldn't refuse. Kagome was overjoyed at first that she'd once again be traveling alone with Inuyasha. It had been so long since they had any time to themselves, other than when they were fighting over the shards, Kouga, or Kikyou.

Kagome's hopes for a nice getaway with Inuyasha were shattered, though, when the hanyou's irritability rose drastically for no apparent reason. She had been sure that some time away from the excitement of shard hunting and the absence of their noisy friends would help to soothe his frayed nerves, but evidently, it had only made them worse. '_I guess he really must hate being alone with me…_' Kagome's face fell as she opened her eyes to stare sadly at the ground. It was hard not to feel lonely in this era, especially with Shippou, Miroku, Sango and Kirara all away. Inuyasha was good company sometimes, but he was definitely not one to turn to for advice, since he could barely deal with his own problems.

Kagome sighed again wistfully, drawing her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and resting her chin on top of them. Her eyes glazed over as she stared blankly into the distance, becoming deeply lost in thought. It had been two years since this whole ordeal had started; two years since she met the stubborn, arrogant hanyou pinned to the Goshinboku with an arrow through his heart. That day had changed her life forever. It was the beginning of her fated destiny, when she shattered the Shikon no Tama and inevitably started to fall in love with the egotistical dog-eared boy. That thought brought on an unwanted but familiar twinge of pain to her heart. She always managed to suppress it in front of the others, but she had to wonder how long she would carry this burden. She was sure by now that her friends knew, seeing as how she never made any attempt to hide it. She quite blatantly showed her love for the hanyou almost regularly, but he was either ignoring it or completely and utterly dense. Her friends all seemed convinced that it was the latter. Inuyasha was obviously more concerned for the welfare of the dead miko, however, since whenever she was around, he completely ignored the fact that Kagome even existed.

A familiar sting plagued the backs of the young girl's eyes, and in response she rubbed furiously at them with her palms. She was tired of crying, she'd done too much of that already. No matter how much she tried to hide or deny it, though, the lump in her throat and the stabbing pain in her abused heart remained. It didn't seem fair. She was tired of being second best, of playing the temporary replacement for Kikyou until Inuyasha could go back to the real one. She wanted to be _seen_, to be recognized and acknowledged as Kagome and only Kagome, not a cheap construct of the woman he loved.

Overcome with a sudden fit of anger at the object of her thoughts, she stood up and raised her good arm, slamming her fist into the rough trunk of the tree and glaring fiercely at it, as if it were the source of her problems. Blood ran down from the torn skin on her hand to drop and mix with the dirt below, but she hardly noticed.

"Damn you Inuyasha! Why did I have to fall in love with you? Things would be so much easier if we'd never met…" she spoke the last sentence as her angry shouting faded into a pained whisper, and she finally allowed the hot tears stinging her eyelids to fall down her cheeks. She leaned her forehead against the tree and ran her hands lightly over the rough surface, as if apologizing for her cruel treatment to it. She knew, even as she spoke the words, that they were a lie. She would never regret meeting Inuyasha, no matter how much pain he caused her. "It's not fair…" she turned and slumped against the tree, leaning on it as she slid down to sit on the dirt.

"Why couldn't he have fallen in love with me first? Why did she-," she stopped her train of thought right there. She would never be so selfish as to wish ill upon others because of her own unhappiness. Things just were the way they were, there was no point on dwelling on what could have or should have been when she couldn't change it. She still had everyone in her own time that loved her and cared for her, and even someone that was romantically interested in her. The thought of the young and naïve boy brought a small smile to her face. She had been standing Hojou up entirely too much lately, perhaps it was time she moved on and tried to forget about Inuyasha. Hojou was a nice boy, and he wouldn't insult her constantly or run off to see his dead girlfriend instead of her. She was better off without Inuyasha, and Hojou certainly deserved her time and attention, whereas the hanyou did not.

"Yeah, right…" she sighed tiredly, lifting her hands to rub at her sore temples. No matter how much she tried to convince herself not to, she'd always love the stubborn boy. Hojou was polity, considerate, and open, everything Inuyasha was not, but he was also so… boring. Kagome enjoyed all the adventures and excitement she had in Sengoku Jidai, and Hojou simply couldn't provide that for her. Besides… he deserved someone who could give him the attention and devotion he wanted. In a way, she was just as bad to Hojou as Inuyasha was to her. No one deserved to be hurt like that.

A warm trickle of something running down her arm brought her back to reality, and she looked down in confusion. She cringed as she recognized the blood flowing from her torn fist, only now starting to feel the pain. "Itai… mou, I'm becoming as impulsive and short-tempered as Inuyasha. Baka…" she sighed. "He finds a way to make me angry even when he's not around." She pulled the red tie from her school uniform and wrapped it around her bloodied hand. With some difficulty, using her other hand and her teeth, she managed to put it in a tight knot around the wound. It would make a decent makeshift bandage until she had access to her first aid kit again.

She groaned as she remembered that she had left her bag back at camp with Inuyasha when she had stomped off. This did not bode well for her things. The hanyou had little to no respect for other peoples' privacy, and frequently went rummaging through her pack whenever he became hungry or bored. She had tried lecturing him on how a girl had private things that no one else should know about, but she knew he wasn't really listening at the time. He usually had the attention span of a two-year old, unless it involved the Shikon no Tama, Naraku, or Kikyou.

Kagome shook her head violently and silently cursed herself for ending up on the subject of the dead miko again. She always managed to haunt her thoughts, eating at her little by little. It seemed that Kikyou always had a leg up on her, despite the fact that she was no longer living. She was the more powerful miko, the original guardian of the Shikon no Tama, the one Inuyasha loved, the one to give him his first kiss…

She fisted her good hand in frustration as she shook her head again to clear her thoughts. Wallowing in self-pity would do her no good, and she had no intention of sitting on the ground all day. She had just hoisted herself up when she heard a rustling in the foliage behind her, and instinctively she whirled around, instantly holding an arrow notched in her bow, ready to shoot at anything that emerged.

Shifting her weight nervously from one foot to the other, she scanned the shadows warily for any movement. She was confident in her skill with the bow and arrow, but she hadn't fully grasped the potential of her miko abilities yet, and she had never fought a demon completely alone before. At least one of her friends had always been nearby to back her up, and she had yet to prove that she was strong enough to hold her own in battle. What was worse, Inuyasha didn't know where she was, so the chances that the hanyou would come to her rescue were less than likely.

Another rustle of leaves above her startled her enough to loose her arrow blindly in the direction of the disturbance with a frightened cry. A surprised yelp sounded in the distance towards where her arrow had flown, and she blinked in confusion, staring blankly into the forest. '_Was that…?_' Her answer came a moment later when an angry Inuyasha stormed towards her, the familiar wooden arrow clutched in his fist. She let out a sigh of relief and lowered her bow, not missing the indignant glare Inuyasha was shooting her way.

"Oi, wench, what's the big idea? Were you trying to kill me?!" He huffed angrily and crossed his arms in front of his chest in his trademark pose, but not before making a show of snapping the arrow in half and throwing it to the ground at her feet.

Kagome's eyes narrowed as she mimicked his pose and glared back at him just as fiercely. "Well I wouldn't have shot at you if you hadn't scared me half to death!"

"Keh! Everything scares you! You should have been paying more attention! If I was an evil youkai, you'd have been dead by now!"

She sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Fine, Inuyasha. Whatever you say." Inwardly, however, she was relieved and a bit touched by his concern. She knew he always hid his 'vulnerable' side behind this angry façade, and she had become accustomed to seeing past his mask. It was hard not to now, with how well she knew him. His yelling and rude comments were just another way of showing that he cared, as strange as that seemed.

"Oi, what is that supposed to mean?" He growled quietly, but Kagome knew there was no real anger behind it, just concern and the rapidly fading worry for her safety.

Ignoring his question, she turned and started back towards the camp, rubbing her sore hand and arm.

"Wait a minute, wench, I'm not done yet!" He leapt in front of her, effectively cutting off her exit and making her halt, snatching up her injured hand. Despite his gruffness and apparent lack of consideration for her feelings, his grip was surprisingly gentle as he untied the bandage and lifted it from the cuts. His expression softened fractionally, and a flash of guilt shone through his golden eyes for a short moment. Kagome swallowed what she was going to say, now feeling a little bad about her actions. It was common knowledge that the hanyou took his task of protecting her very seriously, considering how upset he got when she got hurt or put herself in danger. She knew he blamed himself for every wound she received, no matter how small.

"Baka, what'd you do to yourself?" he scolded, but his voice was much softer than before and without bite. His gaze traveled up her opposite arm until it landed on her torn sleeve and the shallow cut on her upper arm, then raised to meet her eyes inquisitively.

"It's nothing, I'm fine Inuyasha. Let's just get back to camp." She tried to pull away, but he would not relinquish his hold on her arm. Carefully, he reached out and retied the makeshift bandage around her hand, staring intently at it in concentration as he did so, as if he were a surgeon treating a fatal wound. He glanced back up at her, almost worriedly, as he finished, looking more than a little uncomfortable.

"I didn't tie it too tight, did I? Does it hurt?"

Shocked, Kagome could only stare at him blankly a moment before his words finally registered in her fogged mind, and she lifted her bandaged hand to inspect his work. It wasn't tight at all; quite the contrary, if it were any looser it would have fallen off on its own. She looked back up at him curiously, resisting the urge to smile in amusement at the pink tint to his face. "No Inuyasha, it's fine, it doesn't hurt at all." She flexed her hand experimentally to verify this, but winced at the slight sting the action evoked. Obviously, it hadn't instantly healed, but she was sure it was nothing to be concerned over.

Inuyasha gave her a skeptical look, but put his doubts aside in favor of moving forward to examine her other cut closely. Kagome watched him confusedly, still trying to figure out where this sudden tenderness and concern had come from. Not that it was unwelcome at all, in fact it was a very nice improvement, just new and unfamiliar, especially coming from Inuyasha.

A sharp pain in her arm made her snap back to reality with a squeak and jump, instinctively trying to yank her arm back from the hanyou's hold. He still would not release her, but he looked as guilty as ever, holding something tiny and barely visible between the claws on his thumb and forefinger.

"I'm sorry," he started, looking entirely too downtrodden for doing something as small and insignificant as pinching her lightly with his claws. "You had a splinter in your arm." His hold had loosened noticeably, and to Kagome's utter shock, he raised his other hand to rub her arm lightly, apparently trying to alleviate the non-existant pain. A faint blush spread across her cheeks as a slight tremor went through her body, origination from his touch, but it was far from unpleasant. Her skin tingled where he touched her, and the involuntary shudder it brought did not go unnoticed.

As if suddenly realizing exactly what he was doing, Inuyasha yanked back his hands as though he'd been burned, his face quickly reddening into a deep shade of crimson. He seemed to sputter a moment, trying to think up an excuse for his unusual behavior, but he could think of none that were actually believable, so he turned his back to hide his blush, even though he was fairly sure she had already seen it. It was quite hard to miss, after all.

"K-keh! Come on wench, let's get back to camp. You're weak enough already, you'll be useless to me finding jewel shards if you don't get any rest."

Kagome rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. She wasn't fooled, though, and once more had to fight the smile that threatened to spread across her face. She knew it would only embarrass him and make him more angry and irritable, and she didn't want to spoil the good mood he had put her in.

"Hai, Inuyasha." She brushed the dirt and remnants of dead leaves from her skirt and walked past the impatient hanyou.

"Oi, wench," Inuyasha said gruffly, leaping in front of her and crouching down. "You're too slow. Get on."

Ignoring the implied insult, Kagome smiled and took up his offer, climbing onto his back and gripping his shoulders loosely through the thick material of his haori. Once he was sure she was secure, he took off through the forest, leaping from branch to branch and occasionally touching the ground briefly before leaping up into the trees again.

Kagome sighed contentedly, leaning her head against his muscled shoulder, tightening her grip slightly before smiling to herself again and closing her eyes.

Inuyasha squeezed her knees briefly in response, a faint blush still visible on his face. He pretended to remain indifferent to the situation, but Kagome couldn't see the goofy grin that spread across his face as he sped back towards camp.

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Author's Note: So, how was it? I know it was a whole lot of writing for so little happening, but I need to introduce some stuff for the plot. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon, but I'll only do so if you review! Pleeeeeease review!


	2. Heart to Heart

As the Rain Falls 

**Author's Note:**  I'm sorry this took so long!  ^^; I actually had originally finished chapter two and three before I even wrote chapter one, but I wasn't satisfied with it, so being the perfectionist that I am, I had to go back and rewrite the entire thing.  Granted, it was a lot more work, but I feel much better about it now that it's fixed.  Sorry that these first chapters seem kind of pointless and uneventful, but I'm setting up for the plot, and I put in some random fluff for the fun of it. :P Anywho, thank you muchly for the lovely reviews!  ^^ I feel so speshul.  Enjoy the chapter, and please keep reviewing!  Perhaps if I keep getting reviews as good as I have, then I'll write out some review responses.  I luff you all!

**Disclaimer:**  I own Inuyasha!  :D I bought him on eBay!  Wait… waitaminnit… a plushie?!  ;-; Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Chapter Two – **Heart to Heart**

He'd die before he admitted it, but he'd been worried sick about her when he'd caught the putrid scent of her blood wafting through the air.  He'd literally torn through the forest in a blind panic, cursing himself vehemently for letting her walk off alone.  He always managed to stick his foot in his mouth, and if that wasn't enough to hurt her, his damn pride always was.  '_Damn it, I'm such a fucking screw up.  Nothing ever comes out the way I want it to around her.  Damn her, it's her own fault!_'

He growled to himself as he sped through the trees, pausing on a branch every now and then to sniff the air for Kagome's sweet scent, then immediately taking off through the foliage again.

His conscience was constantly at an inner war with himself, one side always trying to justify his actions, and the other ranting and raving about how stupid he was.  However, right now, everything in him was focused on finding the young girl who both irritated and captivated him so.

He felt awful about constantly snapping and yelling at her over the past few months when he knew she didn't deserve it, but his own indecisiveness was slowly driving him to the brink of insanity.  The quest for the shards was finally nearing an end; they had defeated the last of the Shichinintai, and Naraku was finally within their sights.  This, unfortunately, also meant that Kikyou was that much closer to taking him to hell with her.  He didn't want to go back on his word, and he still felt responsible for her death, but neither did he want to leave Kagome.  The thought of her, alone and heartbroken, made his chest constrict in an all-too familiar pain.  She had sacrificed so much for him; disregarded her own feelings to make him happy so many times that he had lost count, and he couldn't simply forget that.

Thinking about her had fueled his energy, and his pace quickened, his form just a white and red blur to stationary onlookers.  His ears twitched madly, straining to pick up any trace of her voice shouting for him.  There was none.  Just deafening silence.

Inuyasha's blood had run cold as he stopped to gain his bearings, frantically searching the area. Nothing could happen to her, she had to be all right.  They still had shards to find, and she couldn't leave before he told her—

'_Whoa, hold that thought right there.  I do **not**_ _feel anything for that wench.  She's just my shard detector_,' he thought stubbornly.  Even as he told himself that, though, he knew it was a lie.  Kagome meant more to him than he'd ever care to admit, and not because she looked like Kikyou or was his tama detector.  That may have been the reason he'd kept her around at first, but so much had changed since then.  She'd had her own effect on him, different from what anyone else's had ever been, including Kikyou's.  There were so few people that accepted him for who he was, or rather, _what_ he was, and that was the reason that he'd fallen under the spell of the two mikos.

But, even Kikyou had only accepted him to a certain extent.  After all, she had been the one to ask him to become human for her.  Kagome had never asked anything of him, only that he remain the person that he was.

A fiery blush spread across his face as he resurfaced in the memories of the battle at Kaguya's castle, and the kiss that he had shared with Kagome.  She'd cried out that she liked him as a hanyou, not a full youkai or a human, and proved her words by pressing her lips to his.  He liked to think it wasn't just to stop his transformation or bring him to his senses, that she'd have done it anyway if the opportunity arose, but the many insecurities of being a hanyou; an outcast and a filthy abomination, buried the idea that he could trust himself to believe she felt that way.

His thoughts led him back to the well-known subject of 'what if?'s that he had been dwelling on ever since the dead miko had been brought back from the grave.  What if Naraku had never interfered with his and Kikyou's relationship?  What would have happened?  Would they have lived the normal human lives that Kikyou had wanted so badly?  The thought made him strangely discontent, to his own surprise.  He _hated_ being human, though at the time, it seemed a fair price to pay to be with Kikyou.  Now… now, he wasn't so sure what he would have done.  He knew he owed it to Kikyou to die with her, but… was that all he saw her as now?  An obligation?  He knew he had loved her once, but he wasn't positive that he still did.

For a long time he had convinced himself that the reason he didn't feel anything for her anymore was that he didn't feel anything at all.  That he was numb to all emotions except anger and guilt.  But, Kagome… she'd shot down that theory.  She stirred feelings in him that he thought had died long ago on that tree where Kikyou had pinned him with her sacred arrow.  The bouzu and taijiya were convinced that this meant he was in love with the future girl.  Of course, he'd admit it over his own dead body, to himself or anyone else… but still, the nagging thought remained plaguing his mind, suggesting that perhaps the notion might be true, despite how much he tried to deny it.

Growling to, or more likely _at_ himself, he pushed his thoughts away to focus on finding the girl that had, against his will, become the object of his thoughts once more.  Why did everything he did or thought about now always revolve around her?  Couldn't he go just one hour without thinking about her?  The smarter part of him provided the logical answer; that he loved her, but the larger, more stubborn part of him refused to acknowledge this and admit defeat.

He knew he cared for the girl, and that she harbored feelings for him- he wasn't a complete idiot, as Sango and Miroku suggested he was- but love was a strong word.  Even if he did love her- '_Which I don't_,' he reminded himself rather haughtily- he still owed his life to Kikyou, and he couldn't break his promise to her, after everything he'd put her through.  Anything between him and Kagome could only result in hurt, and he would've rather died than be the cause of her pain.

He was completely unaware of what that thought in itself implied- he had never even cared for Kikyou so much as to be willing to sacrifice his life to spare her of suffering the slightest grief or tiniest wound.  Guilt was one thing, but genuine care and concern were completely different.  Not that Inuyasha could tell the difference…

Abruptly, he skidded to a halt as he caught a brief glimpse of green and white material among the brown scenery of dying trees, and nearly collapsed in sheer relief as the adrenaline rush from his fear and worry deserted him, leaving him tired and out of breath.  She looked fine- he couldn't spot any visible injuries or blood, and there were no youkai in the surrounding area, from what he could see and smell.  He let out a heavy sigh and slumped against a tree trunk, golden eyes never leaving her relatively still form.

'_Stupid wench,_' he thought, irked by her apparent calmness and ignorance of his presence.  '_Made me get all worked up over nothing… she doesn't even realize I'm here._'

He had lost count of how many times he had warned her to stay alert and aware of demon auras in the surrounding area, especially when she was alone.  Almost every time he approached her from a hiding place or a concealed spot, she remained unaware until he chose to reveal himself, in the process scaring her senseless.  He could not, for the life of him, understand how she could be so careless and still manage to survive in the feudal era.

'_Keh.  Where'd she be without me?_' he thought with arrogant pride.

He conveniently chose to ignore the fact that he needed her just as much, and that she had saved _his_ life on more than one occasion.

Unbeknownst to even himself, his gaze softened as he watched her, shifting his weight slightly to subconsciously get closer to the small clearing she was in.  He heard her sigh and mutter to herself, but he wasn't exactly paying attention to what she was saying.  Glancing upwards, he picked out a low branch and leapt up onto it to get a better look, cringing when the baggy sleeve of his haori caught on a bush and rustled the dead leaves on the forest floor.  He watched Kagome stand and whirl around with a panicked look on her face, drawing her bow and arrow as she walked towards the edge of the clearing, in his direction.

He swore under his breath, looking for a new hiding spot amongst the dead and rotting trees.

'_Wait a minute, why the hell am I hiding?  It's not like I was spying on her or anything.  She doesn't have a reason to sit me, so I don't care if she finds me or not._'

That settled, he folded his arms and flopped down into a sitting position on the branch, resolute in his new decision.  Unfortunately, he forgot that Kagome was panicked, and that shaking a branch would make enough noise to draw her attention, even with her weak human ears.

With a frightened shriek, she loosed her arrow in his direction, surprisingly and unfortunately accurate for such a blind and wild shot.  He almost fell off of his perch with a startled yelp, barely grasping the arrow in midair before it had a chance to pierce his skin.  He scowled, clutching it tightly and dropping from the branch, marching into the clearing where Kagome still stood.  He narrowed his eyes at her as she breathed a heavy sigh of relief and lowered her bow, closing her eyes.  He snapped the arrow in half and threw it at her feet with a low growl.

"Oi, wench, what's the big idea? Were you trying to kill me?!"  Pride hurt, he could only huff and fold his arms, glaring in her direction.  Inwardly, though, he was even a bit thankful for the excuse to come closer and gain her attention.  Now he could get a better look at her wounds and see what the problem that had drawn him out here was.

He almost laughed as Kagome glared back at him and folded her arms as well, copying his pose.  She looked so cute when she was angry.

'_Wait, what the hell?!  **Cute**?! She is **not** cute!_'  He was almost horrified at that thought, but of course his conscious started another argument with him.  He ignored it, lest he start to growl and argue at something only he could hear, and make Kagome think that he had finally lost his mind.  He actually wasn't one hundred percent sure himself that he hadn't.  Normal didn't include arguing and insulting yourself from two sides, even if it wasn't out loud.

"Well I wouldn't have shot at you if you hadn't scared me half to death!" she shouted back at him, clearly insulted at his lack of faith in her abilities.  Again, he suppressed the urge to smirk.  Even as stubborn as he was, he had to admit that he liked arguing with her.  It was almost… fun.

"Keh! Everything scares you! You should have been paying more attention! If I was an evil youkai, you'd have been dead by now!"  As careless as he seemed about the situation, it did worry him that she couldn't sense other demon presences in the area.  Just being able to detect shards wasn't enough.  What if he wasn't always there to protect her?  He really didn't want to think about what consequences that might cause…

She seemed to give up at this, rolling her eyes and throwing her hands up with a defeated sigh.  "Fine, Inuyasha. Whatever you say."

He bristled, growing agitated with how much she apparently did not care about being in danger.  "Oi, what is that supposed to mean?" he growled to emphasize his point, but he could put no real anger or malice behind it.

Apparently she had tired of arguing with him, because she had turned away and started walking back into the forest.  He was about to yell at her again, but stopped when he saw her rubbing at two small injuries, one beneath a bandage on her hand, and one on her upper arm.  It was obviously the source of the blood he had smelled, but they didn't look serious at all.  Still, he couldn't help but feel guilty for leaving her alone long enough to sustain these wounds.

"Wait a minute, wench, I'm not done yet!"  He leapt in front of her, hiding his concern behind a scowl as he grabbed her bleeding hand and studied it carefully.  He was extremely careful not to hurt her, and he was vaguely aware of how guilt-ridden his expression was when he untied and lifted the ripped piece of cloth from her hand.  Again he kicked himself for letting her run off alone.  She'd probably tripped somewhere in the forest and scraped herself up, and even though it was because of her own clumsiness, it was still discomforting to know that he hadn't been there to catch her.

"Baka, what'd you do to yourself?"  He was completely unaware of how tender his voice sounded at that moment, though that probably was a good thing, since he'd probably jump away and make an excuse for his behavior, saying he didn't mean it.

His eyes lifted to meet hers in a silent inquiry as to what happened, but he didn't expect her to answer.  At least not truthfully.  She always did things like that… denying her own pain and worrying about others.

"It's nothing, I'm fine Inuyasha.  Let's just get back to camp."  She tried to tug her arm from his grip, but he wouldn't let go.  His grip was firm, but not tight, as if he was terrified of hurting her.  And he was.  He was too distracted with his task to even notice this thought and deny it to himself.  He stared intently at the wound in concentration as he retied the small piece of cloth around her hand, too frightened he'd hurt her to even tighten it enough and prevent it from falling off.  Still, he was worried, and it showed in his expression as he glanced back up at her.

"I didn't tie it too tight, did I?  Does it hurt?"

She looked back at him almost wonderingly, confusion apparent as she met his gaze.  He watched her look down at his work, and only then did he actually realize just what he had done.  His face heated as he looked down, finding the dirt beneath his bare feet suddenly very interesting.  He failed to see the look she gave him afterwards, but he figured it was for the better.  He imagined she'd probably be laughing at him if she didn't think it would insult him.

"No Inuyasha, it's fine, it doesn't hurt at all."

He looked up to verify her claim as she flexed her hand, and however subtle it was, he didn't miss the slight wince that the action caused.  He sent her a skeptical look, though he couldn't really do anything more about it, so he left it alone.

His attention turned to the shallow cut on her upper arm, and he studied it carefully as he had her hand.  He guessed she had done this on a tree branch or trunk, since there was a small splinter of the wood lodged in the cut.  He shifted hesitantly, wondering how to go about this.  After a moment of deliberation, he reached forward carefully and grasped the splinter in his claws, pulling it out quickly and immediately filling with guilt as Kagome squeaked and jumped, trying to pull her arm from him.

"I'm sorry.  You had a splinter in your arm."

His grip loosened, and with an unsure pause, he raised his other hand to gently rub over the offending spot he had pinched, hoping it would lessen the small bit of pain.  Honestly, he wasn't really conscious of what he was doing, his mind was wandering elsewhere.  His gaze lingered on her face, admiring the beauty, the cuteness of the blush reddening her cheeks…

Wait a minute… blush?

It was then that he realized just what he had been doing, and in his panic he released his hold on her arm and yanked his hands back.  He could feel his face heating, and tried to turn his head to hide the red he knew was spreading across his face from the girl.

"K-keh!  Come on wench, let's get back to camp.  You're weak enough already, you'll be useless to me finding jewel shards if you don't get any rest."

He hoped that she'd assume the past few minutes had been a temporary lapse of sanity, swallowing hard and fidgeting slightly.

"Hai, Inuyasha."  He could hear her stand and brush herself off, and a moment later she walked past him towards the forest.  He was more than relieved that she chose just to ignore his actions.

He leapt forward, landing in front of her with his back still turned, and his tone was almost affectionate as he spoke.  "Oi, wench, you're too slow.  Get on."  In all honesty, he loved carrying her on his back.  It was one of the few occasions he could hold her closely and not humiliate himself.

As he came to realize once again that he had been talking as if… as if he _loved _her or something… which was ridiculous, he just chose to ignore it, tired of fighting back against himself.  He took to the trees when he was sure she could hold on, leaping from branch to branch and enjoying the wind in his hair.

His breath caught when he felt her lay her head against his shoulder and grasp the thick material of his haori.  He gave her knees a gentle squeeze in response, and since she wasn't looking, let the wide grin he had been holding back spread across his face.  Yes, life was good.

~*~*~

It was several hours later when they decided to sleep, watching the last bit of light fade from the sky.  Or when Kagome decided to sleep, at least.  The hanyou preferred watching her faithfully from above, glad for the chance to openly study her features without the fear that she would catch him.  The dim light from the dying fire illuminated her slack features, making her look angelic in the scarce moonlight.  Again, he was completely unaware of how his features softened as he watched her.

When she shivered, it was almost an automatic reaction as he leapt down and tucked the covers of her sleeping bag more tightly against her frail form.  She settled down almost immediately, an incoherent murmur falling from her lips, and the faintest traces of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

He sat down beside her, running a clawed hand almost feather-light over her cheek, smiling softly when she seemed to lean towards it.

"Oi, Kagome…" he spoke almost inaudibly, leaning forward as his thumb caressed her cheek.  "What are you doing to me, woman?"

A slight noise from above drew his attention to the sky, and he stood slowly as he watched the white snake-like soul stealing creature disappear into the trees.  "Kikyou..?"

He glanced back at Kagome hesitantly, but decided she'd be fine on her own for a little bit, and what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Nodding to himself, he cast one last lingering glance at Kagome before taking off into the forest.

~*~*~

It was only a few moments later that Kagome was awoken from her slumber, sitting up and rubbing her eyes blearily.  She glanced around, trying to see the dim outlines of shapes in the dying light of the fire, but she couldn't seem to find her hanyou counterpart.

"Inuyasha..?"

When no answer came, she grew concerned, shrugging off the covers of her sleeping bag and standing up.  She wasn't sure what exactly woke her up, but she could hear faint voices coming from the direction of the forest.  Strangely, she could also sense the presence of a jewel shard.  Had Inuyasha gone off to fight a demon on his own?  That _would _be just like him… arrogant, impulsive, and never thinking about the consequences of his actions.

Her mind made up, she slipped the strap of her quiver over her head, grabbing her bow and starting towards the forest with a determined look on her face.

**Author's Note:**  So ^^; how was this chapter?  A little more action than there was in the last, but we still haven't reached the plot yet.  Don't worry, it will be revealed in the next chapter or two.  But only if you review!  Review review revieeewwwwww!

**Next Chapter:**  Shards of a Broken Heart


	3. Shards of a Broken Heart

**As the Rain Falls**

**Author's Note**: Sorry, sorry, sorry! I haven't had access to a computer for a very long time, much less enough to actually write a whole chapter x.x; I am back now, though, and I have every intention of finishing what I started. I was _going_ to write some review responses, but it seemed rather pointless, because I only got 3 reviews for the last chapter. Come on, people! Take some time to give me your input! It's the least you could do in return for me giving you the story! It'll take longer if I get no reviews!

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Inuyasha... though I do own this story... so no touchie!

**Chapter Three **- Shards of a Broken Heart

A twig snapped under her foot, scaring the daylights out of Kagome as she whirled around with an arrow drawn back in her bow, chocolate eyes darting back and forth wearily. Relaxing her arm when she found that it was only a stick under her own foot, she shook her head and sighed to herself. "Get a grip, Kagome..." she muttered, continuing on towards where she heard the voices.

"Inuyasha..?" she called out hesitantly, brushing a piece of foliage out of her way as she stepped through the tall grass. It wasn't like him to leave her alone like this, even if it was a youkai- he usually at least woke her and asked her where the shard was.

'That's funny... this shard... it's almost like it's fading in and out of existence.' Sighing in confusion and frustration, she quickened her pace, becoming anxious now as she drew nearer to the source of the voices.

She almost shrieked in surprise as a blur of white dropped in front of her, clutching the material of her shirt over her chest as she struggled to catch her breath and get her heart to resume its normal rhythm. She raised her eyes to glare at the source of her scare, but her breath caught in her throat before she could say anything. A deep chuckle rose from the figure in front of her, the ivory baboon pelt he wore rippling slightly with the wind that passed.

"So, my dear Kagome, have you decided to abandon that useless hanyou brat yet?" Naraku asked, and Kagome could tell from the sound of his voice that he wore a smirk beneath the mask he sported.

Fear and shock quickly changed to anger, much to the dark hanyou's surprise, and before he could collect his thoughts enough to retaliate or dodge, she had an arrow pointed directly at his throat, the tip of it breaking the skin of his neck and drawing a thin line of blood.

"What do you want, Naraku?" she hissed angrily, eyes narrowed into brown slits. She gripped the back end of the arrow and the taut bowstring so tightly that a welt was beginning to form on her hand; but she didn't notice, nor did she care.

Regaining his composure enough to replace his smirk and speak in that smug tone of his, he straightened slightly before speaking. "Whatever makes you think I want something, Kagome? Perhaps I just wanted to visit the little miko that is said to have more power than Kikyou herself."

She bristled at the sound of the other miko's name, jerking the arrow tighter to his throat, and the small stream of blood turned into a bigger stream. "Don't you dare compare me to... to her." She spat the word as if it were some disgusting poison, fury rising to her senses. She was sick of hearing the name, of hearing about her strength and her love for Inuyasha... not to mention his love for her. Despite what she implied, she hated the dead miko with all of her being. The only reason she saved her life- or rather, the lives of the souls she stole- instead of sending her straight to hell where she belonged, was Inuyasha. She couldn't stand to see the look of sorrow and guilt on his face, and especially not because of her. If she killed Kikyou... he would hate her. That alone kept Kagome from giving the clay miko what she deserved.

She grit her teeth and narrowed her eyes even further at the target before her; it was most likely a kugutsu, and not the real thing. He was nothing but a coward- never actually came out himself unless Inuyasha was incapacitated and unable to fight.

Seeing her fury and the conflicted expression she wore, Naraku grinned in delight as he spoke again. "All right, Kagome, you got me, but know that I just came to warn you."

"Warn me? About what?" she was in no mood for his games, and was tempted just to let go of the arrow and let it kill him, but he had obviously come to her for a reason, and killing him might have meant throwing away important information.

"About Inuyasha. He knows you love him, but he intends to get rid of you and live with his beloved Kikyou. You know this is true, Kagome, I know you've wondered about it yourself before."

"SHUT UP!" she snarled, but through her red fury, she was unable to stop the tears that stung at her eyes. She knew that it was true, despite how much she tried to deny it- he had told her himself that he wanted to keep his promise to Kikyou and vowed to go to hell with her, but that didn't mean she was willing to admit it.

"Ah, but Kagome, he doesn't appreciate your love and care. He'll send you away and forget about you, and become human for her." He was grinning widely, enjoying every stab of pain that shot through her features immensely.

"I SAID SHUT UP!" she yelled as the first of the tears fell from her burning eyes, and released her arrow. As she had suspected, it was a kugutsu, and turned to dust the moment she removed the shard from its remains.

"You can't hide from it forever, Kagome... he will choose her, and you'll be left all alone..." his voice echoed through the forest, and Kagome put her hands over her ears, resisting the urge to scream in frustration. It was true- all of it- but she didn't want to admit it to herself or anyone else.

Sinking to her knees, she fought to gain control of her emotions again, breathing deeply to calm her anger and hurt. "I won't let him get to me..." she muttered to herself, though the effort was futile. He had already gotten to her more than she realized, feeding the seed of doubt and anger that was beginning to grow inside of her out of the bitterness and hate she held towards Kikyou. It wasn't as if she hated the miko out of jealousy or spite; she hated her because she was selfish, trying to take Inuyasha to hell when he wasn't guilty of anything, trying to kill her out of her own jealousy, giving the Shikon shards to Naraku...

Finally managing to get control over herself, she let out a small sigh and rose to her feet again. She picked up her arrow from the dust of the kugutsu's remains, reaching back to put it in her quiver once more.

Turning in the direction she had originally been headed in before Naraku decided to make his appearance, she noticed a faint glow emanating from above the trees of the forest. 'That's odd... it doesn't feel like a shard... I wonder if-'

Her question was left incomplete as the answer flew by in the form of a white snake-like youkai, a Shinidama-chuu, holding a soul in its insect-like pincers and headed for the clearing where Inuyasha was undoubtedly conversing with Kikyou. Her eyes burned for the second time that night, but she inhaled deeply and blinked them away before they could overwhelm her. "I should have known..." she mumbled out loud to herself, resolving to turn around and head back to camp, but the anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach kept her from following through. 'What if she tries to take him to hell with her again?'

In the end, her concern for Inuyasha and her distrust of the miko got the best of her, and she continued forward through the dense foliage, promising herself that she would leave as soon as she made sure that the dead miko had no intention of dragging Inuyasha to hell with her tonight.

Slowly approaching the small clearing, she couldn't stop her eyes from watering at the sight of Inuyasha holding Kikyou in a loose embrace, though she didn't reciprocate it. Kagome had a strong feeling that something was terribly wrong here, but brushed off the feeling as part of the hurt and jealousy the older miko was invoking in her.

She could hear their voices, but couldn't tell what they were saying, since they were speaking softly to one another. 'That's strange... I wonder how I could have heard them from such a long way off... something doesn't add up, here.'

She didn't have time to continue pondering her thoughts, however, because at that moment, a scream erupted from the clearing before her. Her head jerked up to see Kikyou in the grasp of a rather large-looking tentacle, a smaller one piercing her stomach. Inuyasha was standing stone still and looking stunned, but quickly recovered as he cried out her name and drew Tetsusaiga.

Before she could fully grasp what was happening, a piercing pain penetrated her back, and she looked down in horror to see another tentacle protruding from her stomach. While she was still trying to discern that she was indeed impaled on what looked like a vine, another tentacle wrapped around her throat and lifted her from the ground. She hardly noticed, though gasping for breath; and the searing pain in her stomach made her vision blur. She was vaguely aware that Kikyou was being lifted as well, and Inuyasha had finally noticed her presence as well, because she heard him call out her name in confusion and terror.

The sound of his pained cry brought her back to her senses with a pang of guilt, pushing past the immense pain in her abdomen to focus on his and weakly call out to him. "Inuyasha..." it was barely a whisper, but his canine ears caught it anyway, and his attention focused on her.

"Kagome! What in god's name are you doing here?!" he yelled, disguising his panic in the form of anger (as usual). She didn't have time to answer, however, because at that moment, another kugutsu appeared, proving to be the source of the deadly tentacles. Absently, Kagome wondered why she hadn't sensed the shard before, gripping at the limb wrapped around her neck and trying to ignore the unbearable agony of her stomach wound.

"What do you want, Naraku?!" Inuyasha spat, trying his best to keep the desperation out of his voice. He couldn't possibly use Kaze no Kizu with Kagome and Kikyou in the way, and anything else he tried could easily be blocked by using the two of them as shields. He growled and gripped Tetsusaiga's hilt tightly, his knuckles turning white at the pressure he applied from his fury.

"Why, Inuyasha, I just want to know, which of these women you prefer over the other. You see, I want the two of them dead, but I can settle for one, so choose. Which one matters more to you? The other will die slowly and horribly by my hand. I think it's only fair that you finally make a decision, don't you? You make them suffer with your indecision and disloyalty," he chuckled darkly, enjoying the look of immense pain and inner conflict in the hanyou's golden eyes. "Come now, I don't have all day. If you wait too long, I'll kill them both."

Kagome tried to call out to him, to tell him that it was all right, that she trusted him, anything to wipe that horrible pain from his eyes. Nothing came out but a pained, broken whisper of his name, though, yet he still noticed and looked towards her. Gods, it was killing her to see him like this. She knew he'd never betray her, but she almost wished he would. If Kikyou died a second time by Naraku's hand, he'd never forgive himself. She saw his gaze shift to Kikyou and her heart wrenched.

"Well?" Naraku prompted, tightening his grip around the womens' throats, making both of them gasp and struggle to free themselves from his deadly hold.

Kagome could see the inner conflict raging in Inuyasha's golden orbs, and wished she could know what he was thinking. She would never have suspected that the next word out of his mouth, barely a whisper, would break her heart completely; shatter it beyond repair and leave nothing but an empty shell in its wake.

"Kikyou..."

**Author's Note**: Sorry, I know I'm evil XD; But if you review, I'll post the next chapter really soon! Review review REVIEW! This was quite a bit shorter than I had originally expected it to be, but I think the next one will be a very long one :P

**Next Chapter**: Regrets


	4. Regrets

**As the Rain Falls**

**Author's Note**: I got it out quicker this time, ne? :P I can't guarantee I'll get them all out this fast; I'm still trying to figure out exactly how I want this story to go. I have a zillion possibilities in mind, but I have no idea which one to use, or how I can connect one of those ideas to what I'm writing now . If you have any suggestions, I'm open to them, just let me know! :3 And don't worry, as angsty as it is right now, there will be plenty of fluff in the future. This is strictly an Inu/Kag fic; as I loathe Kikyou. There will be no bashing, however, the story will proceed realistically. And just so you know, the rating is for language and graphic scenes. I've always been a fan of reading lemons, but I've never tried writing them ; Perhaps I will in the future. We shall see.

And thank you, all of my lovely reviewers! I promise to try to keep the chapters coming if you keep reviewing!

**Disclaimer**: I own Inuyasha! That's right, he's mine! :D Hahahahaaaa! :: Is bowled over by Rumiko Takahashi's lawyers. :: Agh! ;-; Don't sue me! I'm poor!

**Chapter Four **– Regrets

His mind screamed 'idiot!' at him before the word even left his mouth. He only realized a split second too late that he was saying it out loud, and panic overtook his body as he looked to Kagome in time to see her expression change from shock to hurt.

He had made a very bad mistake.

Before he could even start to try to rectify it, however, Kikyou's dirt and clay body was thrown, none too gently, at him. He caught her easily, but the unexpected force of Naraku's throw knocked him onto his back. A pained cry came from above him- one he knew was from Kagome- and the sound made his heart twist painfully in his chest.

Quicker than lightning, he was on his feet again; Kikyou put aside with minimal care for her safety. She was out of immediate danger, so his main focus would be getting Kagome back. 'Like it should have been in the first place,' his inner voice reminded him, sending another stab of pain into his already wounded heart. 'I didn't mean it... Kagome, I didn't mean it!'

His inner voice was not heard, however, as Kagome was busy struggling to breathe and avoid the stinging agony that pierced her heart, as well as her stomach. Inuyasha looked up in time to see Naraku's human hand punch through her abdomen, thus making a bigger hole, and one much more painful.

A spray of crimson blood flew from Kagome's mouth as she arched her back in excruciating agony. She was acutely aware of the clawed hand impaling her stomach, gasping for air as she struggled to relieve some of the unbearable pain in her lungs. How did Inuyasha deal with this kind of pain? Of course, the lack of adrenaline had to make a little bit of a difference, as well as the demon blood, but still...

Inuyasha stood, rooted to his spot for a moment as he watched the events unfold with building horror. This wasn't happening... it couldn't be happening... not to Kagome. Not to sweet, innocent Kagome...

A deep rage filled his being, the beginnings of purple streaks appearing on his face as crimson started to leak into his golden eyes. 'The bastard... he'll pay, he'll fucking PAY for this!' An enraged snarl tore from his throat as his claws and fangs elongated, and he flexed his hands threateningly as his gaze focused on Naraku.

'No, NO! I can't transform now, I might hurt Kagome...' He fought his inner demon's fury, trying to focus on saving Kagome. With a great deal of effort, he pushed back his demon blood, gritting his teeth against the burning sensation in his body. His well-being wasn't important now- Kagome came first.

Fear gripped his heart once more as he analyzed the situation she was in, searching his mind frantically for any possible solutions to this rather serious problem. Unfortunately, Kagome was usually the brains in their small group, and he was usually the source of their strength. He had always admired her problem solving skills in seemingly hopeless situations, and he could have really used her help and clever advice at that moment.

He was saved from having to wrack his brain for an answer however, when a tiny, pained whisper drew his attention back to the small and frail young miko. "No..." she said simply, almost inaudibly, reaching down with a trembling hand to grip the wrist protruding from her bloodied shirt. Before he could even start to wonder what the hell she was doing, an enraged howl disrupted his thoughts as Naraku threw Kagome roughly to the ground, and only then did Inuyasha catch a good glimpse of where Kagome had touched him. His wrist looked like it had been held over a flame, singed, strangely, in the shape of a small hand. One he knew as Kagome's hand.

Disregarding the strange phenomenon in favor of dashing to Kagome's side, he laid a hand on her shoulder to help her sit up, only to be surprised when she slapped it away.

"I don't... need your help... Inuyasha," she panted, her voice hoarse and raspy, her breaths shallow. She coughed violently then, choking on the blood filling her lungs, and doubled over from the pain. It was amazing she was still alive, and the fact that she was still conscious shocked him to no end. It had to have something to do with her miko powers- no other human could possibly survive an injury like that and live this long.

The look on her face broke his heart further, seeing the tears mixed with blood, her chocolate eyes swimming with hurt, anger, and betrayal. It reminded him disturbingly of the look of hate Kikyou had given him in the last moments before her death; the look that had haunted him in his fifty-year sleep and continued to haunt him to this day. He knew he had done a lot to hurt Kagome, but he couldn't forget about his debt to the dead miko. That was why he had called out her name rather than Kagome's; it was out of reflex, nothing more- he'd never even think of sacrificing Kagome's life for Kikyou's... he especially didn't mean for it to end like this, with Kagome dying in his arms and giving him such a broken look that his heart bled. Fear clenched his heart when he saw her struggling to keep her eyes open, his blood turning to ice as he finally directed his attention to her gaping wound.

The potent smell of blood was thick enough to make him gag, and the injury itself appeared to be worse than any of his own from the past. He could actually see inside her stomach, the ripped organs hindering her breathing, and he felt as if he was going to be physically sick. It wasn't the goriness of the wound itself that bothered him; it was the fact that Kagome was the one suffering the pain.

His throat closed up and his eyes widened in panic as her heartbeat, already shallow and weak, began to slow. She lost consciousness moments later, whimpering slightly as she curled up reflexively to try to relieve some of the pain. It worked- though not very well; but enough so that her whimpering ceased and her breathing evened out a bit. She appeared to be out of immediate danger, but he knew she wouldn't last long without medical attention. It was a miracle she was alive now.

As gently as was possible for a hanyou, he slid one arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees, lifting her up bridal style. He was extremely careful not to jar her wound at all, and tried to move her as little as possible. He raised his furious amber gaze to glare at Naraku, but all he got in return was a smug grin. Shifting his eyes to Kikyou, he saw that she was staring at Kagome with such malice and hate in her eyes that he was tempted to turn and shield the younger miko from it.

Inuyasha growled lowly, narrowing his eyes as he shifted his fierce glare from Kikyou to Naraku, and back to Kikyou again. Were they working together? For wanting Kikyou dead so badly, Naraku was making little effort to take her life or hurt her at the moment. Not to mention the lack of concern Kikyou showed for the said hanyou; when he could easily kill her with a flick of his wrist at any moment.

Vowing to resolve things with them later, when Kagome was safe and on the road to recovery; he turned and bolted from the clearing, careful not to jar the girl in his arms. He didn't know for sure if he should take her to Kaede's hut or to her own time, but he knew that he trusted the old hag, as much as he tried to deny it. The doctors on the other side of the well seemed not to care at all about their patients, and he didn't understand their methods of healing. Besides... would Kagome's mother hate him for letting this happen to her daughter? Would Kagome hate him? He was relatively certain that if he were to take her back to her own time, she wouldn't be coming back to the feudal era anytime soon. Maybe never.

His heart clenched at the thought of never seeing her again, but twisted even more painfully as he thought of what would happen if he didn't reach Kaede's in time. Death was much more permanent than a sealed well. At least he would know that she was alive and well on the other side, but if she died...

He shook his head, deciding resolutely that he would reach Kaede in time, and Kagome would live. She might hate him, but she would be alive. He briefly wondered what he could possibly do for her that might get her to forgive him, but quickly pushed the depressing thoughts aside.

Only a few moments later, he burst into the elderly miko's hut, looking around frantically as he cradled Kagome's bloodied form closer to his body. "Kaede-baba! Where are you, old hag?!" he bellowed, his heartbeat increasing in panic as he saw that the small hut was empty. He almost howled in frustration and anger, whirling around to exit the small wooden dwelling, only to come face-to-face with Kaede herself.

"Calm down, Inuyasha. I may be old, but my hearing is just fine. Now, what-"she cut herself off when she finally noticed what the bloodied form in his arms was, a small gasp escaping her lungs. "Kami-sama... set her down on the floor, Inuyasha, I need to inspect her wounds."

Though hesitant to relinquish his hold on the young girl, he did as he was told, laying her as gently as possible on the hard wooden floor, subconsciously raising a clawed hand to tuck a stray tendril of hair behind her ear.

Kaede immediately set to work inspecting the deep wounds, pulling up the young girl's shirt to look at the wound on her abdomen, but Inuyasha didn't even seem to notice. He looked nervous and frightened, and the slight trembling of his hand did not escape Kaede's sight. Idly, she wondered what could have possibly shaken him up so much; though the answer seemed to be right in front of her. So, that left the question of how Kagome got this badly hurt. She thought to inquire from the shaken hanyou just what had happened, but shut her mouth when she saw him gently running his claws through the younger girl's hair. Now was not the time for questions. They needed to make sure Kagome would live first.

At close sight of the horrible wound that went through her stomach, Kaede resisted the urge to gag, covering her mouth with her hand. True, she was the village healer, and rarely squeamish, but even she had never seen a wound this gruesome. She could actually see the outlined form of what she believed to be Kagome's entrails. Trying to block out the horrible image by focusing on helping the young girl, she turned and pulled out the first aid kit that Kagome had once given her as a gift. It certainly helped her in numerous ways with the village patients, but she was never more thankful for the girl's resources than she was now.

"Oi, baba, hurry up, would ya?!" Inuyasha growled, lifting Kagome's head gently to rest on his lap, still absently running his claws through her raven tresses. Kaede simply didn't answer, studying the wound and analyzing exactly what should be done about it. After a moment, she sighed heavily, turning to draw thread from a small spool and searching for a needle at the bottom of the box.

"We need to sew it shut," the old miko stated distractedly, attempting to thread the small needle, but having difficulty due to her poor eyesight.

Inuyasha visibly paled, looking down at the girl before looking back up at the elder miko. "Are you sure it's absolutely necessary?" he asked quietly, barely more than a whisper.

She nodded in response, looking equally contrite as she prayed to the gods above that Kagome would remain unconscious through the procedure. She saw Inuyasha take the girl's hand out of the corner of her eye, inhaling tremulously as he focused on her face. She was not any more eager to do this than he, but if they wanted Kagome to live, it had to be done.

When the needle pierced her flesh for the first stitch, she whimpered in her sleep and clenched her eyes shut tighter, instinctively trying to move away from the stinging pain of the needle, but Inuyasha held her still. She cried out when Kaede began the next stitch, and the two companions looked equally torn and distraught from the girl's cries. Her grip on Inuyasha's hand was surprisingly strong, almost to the point where it was painful, to his own shock.

Tears slipped from beneath her clenched eyelids when Kaede continued with the third stitch, writhing in pain on the wooden floor. Inuyasha closed his eyes and cursed himself for the millionth time for letting her get hurt.

He thanked the gods when Kaede finally finished stitching and tied it off, but began to feel sick again when he realized they had to stitch the exit wound in her back as well. Through the entire process, he was whispering quiet apologies and promises to the unconscious girl, praying that she would live, begging that she be all right. After what seemed like hours of listening to her whimpers and cries, each one tearing a new hole in his heart, they finally finished, and Kaede gently wrapped the wound in gauze.

"All right, all we can do now is let her sleep," the old miko said with a tired sigh. It wasn't any easier for her than it was for Inuyasha to listen to Kagome's cries, and it was emotionally exhausting.

"Will she be okay?" the hanyou finally spoke, his own voice rough with emotion and exhaustion.

She shifted lightly, standing up and moving to prepare Kagome a makeshift bed. It was a few moments later when she finally answered, "I don't know. She's lost a lot of blood, and it's a miracle she's lived this long. However, the worst is over. As long as her heartbeat remains steady, she should recover." She left the hut then, no doubt to give him some privacy, which he was very grateful for.

Inuyasha wasn't sure what to make of that statement, some of the tension and anxiety draining from his body, but no relief came to him. He was overjoyed that the worst was over, and that as long as she stayed in this condition she should heal properly... but what about when she woke up? Would she hate him? Would she give him a chance to explain, or just insist that she go home and seal the well?

His stomach churned, and he slowly leaned over to gather her in his arms, pulling her onto his lap and wrapping them both in a blanket Kaede had left for them. He gingerly swept her bangs from her pale face and sighed quietly, tucking her into a protective embrace.

He tuned his canine ears to the steady beating of her heart, ready to be on alert immediately if the rhythm changed at all. His eyelids drooped as he relaxed slightly, finally letting the exhaustion overtake him as the adrenaline gradually faded away. He was asleep only moments later, nuzzling his face into her hair contentedly as he allowed himself to dream.

**Author's Note**: See? :P I got this chapter out sooner. Chapter five should be out soon, with plenty of angst and drama I don't know yet when the fluff is going to take place, perhaps a bit here and there, but there will be a bunch at the end :D So be patient. My goal for this story is to make a few peoples' favorite story/favorite author list ; though I have no idea if I qualify as a good author or not. Anywho, review, review and REVIEW!

**Next Chapter**: Picking up the Pieces


	5. Author's Note

**As the Rain Falls**

**Author's Note**: Geez, you people are persistent XD But I suppose it is thanks to you that I have made the decision to continue with this story I love all of my reviewers, and apparently my story has made it into a group of 'underappreciated' stories, and I feel speshul. Anywho, I am 50 done with the 5th chapter of 'As the Rain Falls', and it will be posted very soon. I am in college now, and working on four other stories, so it will be a slow process. Thank you for your support, everyone :D I much appreciate your input!

This note will be replaced when I put up the fifth chapter, but for now, I will put some review responses.

**crookshanks2** - I'm working on it, be patient! ; Thanks for your review!

**Moonlit Showers aka InuKag Fan **- Thank you muchly I am overjoyed to know that someone appreciates my writing enough to put it on their favorite story list. Perhaps my next goal will be to make someone's favorite authors list :3 coughcoughfatchancecough

**ElysianSeraph** - Yes, well... e.e; writer's block? I'm sorry I kept you waiting all this time, but I am putting effort into continuing this story. You won't wait forever, I can promise that! I just... have no idea how this is going to end XD

**inashosetai **- I'm glad to know that my details can invoke such a reaction from my readers! Though it's not pleasant that you almost threw up ; I'm still glad to know that my writing is realistic enough to affect the readers. The update iscoming soon! ...If you're still reading xx;

**Taka and Maki** - Yus, I love writing angst. I can't stand Kikyou either... if I wasn't concerned about the realism of this story, I would make her die a horribly horribly painful death XD But she will die eventually. Don't worry, I hate Inu/Kik >. it's just... wrong. I'm an avid Inu/Kag fan :D

**minerva-five-one-nine** - Sorry I made you cry ; But I'm also glad it was real enough for you. And Inuyasha... he's just an insufferable idiot. Heaven knows where he'd be without Kagome XD

**dragonSpired48** - Awww blush thanks! I try :P But I suppose it's easier for me to do character details than most... owns the japanese versions of Inuyasha parts 1-12 I'm a rather...enthusiastic fan.

**Neka** - It's coming! ; Don't cry, I'll feel bad if you do!

**tHe-aRisTocRatiC-aSSaSSiN** - Geez, your name is so hard to type XD Yes, it's sad as of right now, and there will be much more angst ahead, but it will get better! And I agree, Inuyasha is stupid sometimes but I can't help loving him :3 Kikyou will die soon, don't you worry! XD

**Hikairi - **Ooh, ew ; I'm sorry I made you feel that way. Thank you for your compliment, and I wish you good fortune as well:3 If you still happen to be reading, the next chapter is coming soon!

**Palmtree** - Awww, thanks! It is inspiring to know that I'm on someone's favorites :D And yes, you're probably right, it could do without the lemon. I really don't know if I'd even have the courage to write a detailed lemon to begin with XD I'll leave that to the better authors.

**katty-kat** - I love enthusiasm XD DON'T WORRY, THE UPDATE IS COMING! I'M GLAD YOU LIKED THE LAST CHAPTER!

**Purplefr0g** - Divine? Genius? ; Blush I wouldn't go _that_ far... but it means a lot for you to tell me so :D I hope Froggie is still waiting, because Froggie will get a new chapter soon!

I love you all, and please keep reading:D The real update is coming soon!


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